Specialized data transfer in a wireless communication system

ABSTRACT

A wireless communication system and method is provided for the transfer and processing of data in accordance with specialized data transfer protocols while utilizing conventional base station equipment. For example, the wireless communication system may include a subscriber station that provides for the modification of data packets in accordance with a proprietary protocol and the addressing of the modified data packets to a server. The server is adapted to reconstruct the data packets for transmission to other local subscriber stations or to a packet-switched network. In additional embodiments, the base station itself rather than a server operates to reconstruct the data packets.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/783,403, filed Feb. 15, 2001, by Bunn et al., (now U.S. Pat. No.7,388,884), which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

This application is related to the following non-provisionalapplications:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/427,792, entitled “System and Methodfor Multiplexing Data from Multiple Sources,” filed Oct. 27, 1999, byLimb et al., (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,804,251);

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/783,311, entitled “System and Methodfor Combining Requests for Data Packets by a Data Provider forTransmission of Data Over an Asynchronous Communication Medium,” filedFeb. 15, 2001, by Gummalla et al., (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,999,414);

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/783,404, entitled “Method, Systemand Computer Program Product for Scheduling Upstream Communications,”filed Feb. 15, 2001, by Sala et al., (pending);

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/783,405, entitled “System and Methodfor Suppressing Silence in Voice Traffic over an AsynchronousCommunication Medium,” filed Feb. 15, 2001, by Gummalla et al., (nowU.S. Pat. No. 6,993,007); and

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/785,020, entitled “VoiceArchitecture for Transmission Over a Shared, Contention Based Medium,”filed Feb. 15, 2001, by Gummalla et al., (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,203,164);

-   -   all of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties        herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to wireless communicationsystems, and more specifically to specialized data transfer in awireless communication system.

2. Background

Conventional cable modem systems utilize DOCSIS-compliant equipment andprotocols to transfer data between one or more cable modems (CM) and acable modem termination system (CMTS). DOCSIS (Data Over Cable SystemInterface Specification) generally refers to a group of specificationsthat define industry standards for cable headend and cable modemequipment. In part, DOCSIS sets forth requirements and objectives forvarious aspects of cable modem systems including operations supportsystems, management, data interfaces, as well as network layer, datalink layer, and physical layer transport for cable modem systems.

At a high level, DOCSIS comprises a four-way handshake protocol with thefollowing message exchange: (1) request for bandwidth for datatransmission by a cable modem, (2) grant of request by the CMTS, (3)upstream slot specification by the CMTS, and (4) subsequent datatransmission by the cable modem. Both slot specification and grantmessages are encapsulated in a single DOCSIS message known as the Map,which in fact includes all feedback from the CMTS to cable modemsrelated to the normal mode of operation of the DOCSIS protocol.

After the grant from the CMTS has been received by the cable modem, theupstream channel may be viewed as a continuous flow of mini-slots thatmay be used to transmit data in ways that depart from, and are moreefficient than, standard DOCSIS protocols. For example, voice and datapackets may be processed by the cable modem to reduce the number of bitstransferred per packet through the elimination of protocol overhead. Inparticular, a proprietary protocol-specific header compression techniquemay be used to reduce the size of various protocol headers within agiven DOCSIS packet. The use of a protocol-specific header compressiontechnique presents a distinct advantage over DOCSIS 1.0, which does notprovide for header suppression, as well as over DOCSIS 1.1, which onlypermits header suppression based on the presence of redundant bitsequences in sequentially-transmitted packets.

Techniques that reduce the number of bits transferred per packet asdescribed above require additional processing by the CMTS to reconstructthe original DOCSIS packet and the protocol headers included therein sothat the packet may be properly handled at the cable headend. However,conventional CMTS equipment does not provide for such additionalprocessing capabilities. Moreover, the cost of replacing or upgradingexisting CMTS equipment to provide for these capabilities may beprohibitively expensive. Accordingly, what is desired is a cable modemsystem and method for data transfer that provides for specializedheadend processing of modified DOCSIS packets while utilizing existingconventional CMTS equipment with little or no modification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS/FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a partof the specification, illustrate the present invention and, togetherwith the description, further serve to explain the principles of theinvention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to makeand use the invention.

FIG. 1 is a high level block diagram of a cable modem system inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts various packet formats used for the transfer of data in acable modem system in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for specialized data transfer in acable modem system in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4A depicts a packet format used for data transfer in a cable modemsystem in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4B depicts a packet format used for data transfer in a cable modemsystem in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4C depicts a packet format used for data transfer in a cable modemsystem in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention.

The present invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicateidentical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the left-mostdigit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which thereference number first appears.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Table of Contents

-   A. Cable Modem System in accordance with Embodiments of the Present    Invention-   B. Modification and Reconstruction of Data Packets in Accordance    with Embodiments of the Present Invention-   C. Specialized Data Transfer Protocols in Accordance with    Embodiments of the Present Invention-   D. Alternate Modulation/Demodulation Systems in Accordance with an    Embodiment of the Present Invention-   E. Conclusion

A. CABLE MODEM SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENTINVENTION

FIG. 1 is a high level block diagram of an example cable modem system100 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Cable modemsystem 100 includes a cable modem 110, a cable network 112, a cablemodem termination system (CMTS) 114, and a headend server 116.

The cable modem 110 operates as an interface between a plurality ofattached user devices and the cable network 112 and permits the userdevices to send and receive data over the cable network 112. In thecable modem system 100, the user devices include a first telephone 102,a second telephone 104, a first data user 106 and a second data user108. In embodiments, first and second telephones 102 and 104 compriseVoIP-enabled phones adapted for voice communication over apacket-switched network. In embodiments, first data user 106 and seconddata user 108 comprise a personal computer, data terminal equipment, orany other user device capable of running applications that send andreceive data over a packet-switched network. In the example cable modemsystem 100, only one cable modem 110 and four user devices 102, 104, 106and 108 are shown for clarity. In general, any number of cable modemsand any number of user devices can be included in the cable modem systemof the present invention.

The cable network 112 connects the cable modem 110 to the CMTS 114 andpermits the transfer of data between these system elements. Inembodiments, the cable network 112 can comprise coaxial cable,fiberoptic cable, or a combination of coaxial cable and fiberoptic cablelinked via a fiber node.

The CMTS 114 is a headend element that controls the upstream anddownstream transfer of data between itself and cable modem 110, as wellas any other cable modems to which it may be attached by means of thecable network 112. In embodiments of the present invention, the CMTS 114comprises DOCSIS-compliant hardware and software that controls thetransfer of data between itself and cable modem 110 in accordance withthe DOCSIS specifications. Accordingly, the CMTS 114 engages in afour-way handshake protocol with the cable modem 110 that includes thefollowing message exchange: (1) request for bandwidth for datatransmission by the cable modem 110, (2) grant of request by the CMTS114, (3) upstream slot specification by the CMTS 114, and (4) subsequentdata transmission by the cable modem 110. Both slot specification andgrant messages are encapsulated in a single DOCSIS message known as theMap, which in fact includes all feedback from the CMTS 114 to the cablemodem 110 related to the normal mode of operation of the DOCSISprotocol.

The CMTS 114 also acts as an interface between the cable network 112 andthe Internet 118 and processes data received from the cable modem 110that is directed to the Internet for transfer to the Internet 118. Aswill be discussed in more detail below, in embodiments of the presentinvention, the CMTS 114 will forward certain types of data received fromthe cable modem 110 to the headend server 116 for additional processingbefore the data may be transferred to the Internet 118. The CMTS 114also acts as an interface between cable modem 110 and other cable modemson the cable network 112. For example, the CMTS 114 can transfer databetween cable modem 110 and another cable modem (not shown) on the cablenetwork 112.

B. MODIFICATION AND RECONSTRUCTION OF DATA PACKETS IN ACCORDANCE WITHEMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, the cable modem 110 and theheadend server 116 are adapted to send and receive data, respectively,in proprietary formats that deviate from standard DOCSIS protocols. Inembodiments, the cable modem 110 is adapted to modify data packets inaccordance with a proprietary header compression scheme prior totransmission over the cable network 112, and the headend server 116 isadapted to reconstruct the modified DOCSIS packets that are receivedfrom the cable modem 110 via the cable network 112 and the CMTS 114.

FIG. 2 is useful for explaining a manner in which packets are modifiedby the cable modem 110 and reconstructed by the headend server 116 inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention. More specifically,FIG. 2 illustrates an input packet 202, a compressed packet 204, and areconstructed packet 206 in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention.

Input packet 202 represents a data packet generated by a user device fortransmission over the cable network 112. The input packet 202 includesan 802.3 header 204, an IP header 206, a UDP header 208, an RTP header210, a data payload 212, and a CRC field 214.

In embodiments, the input packet 202 can be generated by an applicationprogram running on the first data user 106 described above in referenceto FIG. 1. For example, an application program running on the first datauser 106 may generate voice or data information for transmission overthe cable network 112 to a local cable modem or to the Internet. Thisvoice or data information comprises the data payload 212 of the inputpacket 202. An application program or operating system routine runningon the on the first data user 106 will append the IP header 206, UDPheader 208, RTP header 210 and CRC field 214 to the data payload so thatit may be transmitted in accordance with standard EP protocols. AnEthernet card within the first data user 106 will further append the802.3 header to the packet so that the input packet may be transmittedin accordance with standard Ethernet protocols.

The input packet 202 is transmitted to the cable modem 110, whichdetermines whether or not the header information in the input packet 202may be suppressed in accordance with a proprietary header suppressionscheme. In embodiments, the proprietary header suppression scheme is aprotocol-specific header suppression scheme that predictively modifiesheader fields based on an a priori knowledge of the various protocolswith which the headers are associated.

If the header information may be suppressed, the cable modem 110 willsuppress the 802.3 header 204, the IP header 206, the UDP header 208 andthe RTP header 210. In an embodiment, all of the 802.3, IP, UDP and RTPheaders are eliminated and replaced with a single byte reconstructionindex. In the instance where the input packet 202 is a voice packet(i.e., the payload 212 is a voice payload), this scheme yields a 14-byteadvantage per voice packet over the DOCSIS 1.1 header suppressiontechnique.

By performing header suppression on the input packet 202, the cablemodem generates a “compressed” data packet 204 for transmission over theDOCSIS network. As shown in FIG. 2, the compressed data packet 204includes a new 802.3 header 232, a proprietary header 216, a payload218, and a new CRC field 234. In embodiments, the payload 212 is notcompressed and therefore the payload 218 is identical to the payload 212of the input packet 202.

The proprietary header 216 includes information that indicates to arecipient of the compressed packet how to reconstruct it. Inembodiments, this information includes an identification of the cablemodem from which the compressed packet 204 has been transmitted.

In addition to performing header suppression on the input packet 202,the cable modem 110 also places a new 802.3 header 232 on the compressedpacket 204. The new 802.3 header is necessary to address the compressedpacket 204 to the headend server 116 which will reconstruct thecompressed packet 204 in accordance with the proprietary headersuppression protocol. By appending the new 802.3 header 232 addressed tothe headend server 116 onto the compressed packet 204, the cable modem110 assures that the compressed packet 204 will be passed to the headendserver 116 by the CMTS 114 for the necessary additional processinginstead of being processed by the CMTS 114 and transmitted to theInternet 118.

In an alternate embodiment, the headend server 116 may not be directlyconnected to the CMTS 114 but instead be connected via the Internet 118.In such an alternate embodiment, the cable modem 110 would have to placea new IP address on the front of the compressed data packet 204 inaddition to the new 802.3 header 232 in order to address compressed datapackets to the headend server. The present invention is directed to suchan alternative embodiment.

The headend server 116 is adapted to reconstruct the compressed datapacket 204 in accordance with the proprietary header suppressionprotocol to generate a reconstructed data packet 206. As shown in FIG.2, a portion of the proprietary header 216 from the compressed packet204 is expanded into a standard 802.3 header 220, an IP header 222, aUDP header 224 and an RTP header 226 in the reconstructed packet 206.These headers are identical to the 802.3 header 204, IP header 206, UDPheader 208 and RTP header 210 of the input packet 202. The headendserver 116 also generates a new CRC field 230. The payload 228 of thereconstructed packet 206 is identical to the payload of the compressedpacket 204.

After the headend server 116 has generated the reconstructed packet 206,it can send it back to the CMTS 114 for transfer to another cable modemon the cable network 112 or to the Internet 118, or the headend server116 can transfer the reconstructed packet 206 directly to the Internet118.

C. SPECIALIZED DATA TRANSFER PROTOCOLS IN ACCORDANCE WITH EMBODIMENTS OFTHE PRESENT INVENTION

FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart 300 of a method for specialized data transferin a cable modem system in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention. The invention, however, is not limited to the descriptionprovided by the flowchart 300. Rather, it will be apparent to personsskilled in the art from the teachings provided herein that otherfunctional flows are within the scope and spirit of the presentinvention. The flowchart 300 will be described with continued referenceto the example cable modem system 100 of FIG. 1.

At step 302, the cable modem 110 is turned on and initiates ahandshaking routine with the CMTS 114 via the cable network 112 toinform the CMTS 114 that the cable modem 110 is now present and activeon the cable network 112. During the handshaking process, the cablemodem 110 downloads a configuration file from the CMTS 114 that includesthe address information for the headend server 116. The cable modem 110then sends identification and configuration information to the headendserver 116 using standard DOCSIS packets. In response, the headendserver 116 allocates internal memory that is used to store configurationinformation for the cable modem 110. In embodiments, the headend server116 also allocates internal memory that is used to store packetsreceived from the cable modem 110. Previously received packetinformation can be used by the headend server 116 to reconstructcompressed packets received from the cable modem 110, where thecompression scheme is based in part on sending only incremental changesto the fields of a packet.

At step 304, a user device (e.g., first telephone 102, second telephone104, first data user 106, or second data user 108) generates a datapacket for transmission over the cable network 112. In embodiments, thedata packet may comprise the input packet 202 of FIG. 2.

At step 306, the cable modem 110 receives the data packet from the userdevice and performs header suppression as appropriate in accordance witha proprietary header suppression routine as described in more detail inreference to FIG. 2, above. The cable modem 110 thereby generates acompressed data packet with a new 802.3 header address that directs thecompressed data packet to the headend server 116. In embodiments, thecompressed data packet may comprise the compressed data packet 204 ofFIG. 2.

At step 308, the cable modem 110 sends a request for bandwidth for datatransmission to the CMTS 114 in accordance with the DOCSIS protocol.

At step 310, the CMTS 114 generates a Map that grants the request andprovides upstream slot specification to the cable modem 110.

At step 312, the cable modem 110 receives the grant via the Map messagefrom the CMTS 114.

At step 314, the cable modem 110 utilizes its slot to transmit thecompressed data packet to the CMTS 114.

At step 316, the CMTS 114 receives the compressed data packet andexamines the new 802.3 header. Because the new 802.3 header is addressedto the headend server 116, the CMTS 114 will pass the compressed datapacket to the headend server 116 instead of processing it as a standardDOCSIS packet, as shown at step 318.

At step 320, the headend server 116 receives the compressed data packet,removes the new 802.3 header, and reconstructs the compressed datapacket to generate a reconstructed data packet in accordance with aproprietary header suppression protocol. In embodiments, thereconstructed data packet comprises the reconstructed data packet 206 ofFIG. 2.

At step 322, the headend server 116 sends the reconstructed data packetback to the CMTS 114 for transfer to another cable modem on the cablenetwork 112 or to the Internet 118, or the headend server 116 cantransfer the reconstructed packet 206 directly to the Internet 118.

D. ALTERNATE CABLE MODEM SYSTEM EMBODIMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEPRESENT INVENTION

The example cable modem system and methods described above provide forthe transfer and headend processing of data in accordance withspecialized data transfer protocols while utilizing conventional cablemodem termination system (CMTS) equipment and software. Because theabove described system and methods utilize an Ethernet-addressableheadend server to perform reconstruction of data packets modified inaccordance with a proprietary data transfer protocol, no modification ofCMTS equipment or software is required. It should be noted that where aCMTS includes a router that directly passes packets to the Internetbackbone, some software modification may be required to redirectcompressed packets to the headend server. However, such softwaremodification would be very minimal and inexpensive.

An alternate cable modem system embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention utilizes CMTS software components to perform thereconstruction functions described above in regard to the headend server116 of FIG. 1. Such a configuration would provide for improved bandwidthutilization on the cable network.

For example, FIG. 4A depicts an example packet layout 402 for acompressed packet sent in accordance with the cable modem system 100 ofFIG. 1 and/or in accordance with the method of FIG. 3. In other words,FIG. 4A depicts an example packet layout 402 for a compressed packetsent in accordance with a cable modem system in which the reconstructionof compressed packets is performed by a specialized headend server asopposed to by the CMTS itself. The packet 402 includes a 6-byte DOCSISheader 408 for compatibility with CMTS hardware, an 8-byte 802.3 headerfor addressing the specialized headend server, a variable-lengthproprietary header 412 that contains the compressed header information,and a variable-length user data field 414.

In contrast, FIG. 4B depicts an example packet layout 404 for acompressed packet sent in accordance with a cable modem system in whichthe CMTS software components, as opposed to the headend server, performthe reconstruction of compressed packets. The packet 404 still requiresa DOCSIS header 416 for compatibility with CMTS hardware, and, like thepacket 402, the packet 404 includes a variable-length proprietary header418 that contains the compressed header information, and avariable-length user data field 420. However, the packet 404 does notrequire a 802.3 header because a specialized headend server is not usedin this configuration. Thus, a 14-byte savings is achieved.

Further improvements in bandwidth utilization may be achieved where acable modem system in accordance with the invention utilizes both theCMTS hardware and software, as opposed to just the CMTS software, toperform the reconstruction of compressed packets. FIG. 4C depicts anexample packet format 406 for a compressed packet in accordance withsuch a configuration. As can be seen in FIG. 4C, because the hardware ofthe CMTS has been modified, the CMTS may receive packets without aDOCSIS header. Thus, the packet 406 consists only of a variable-lengthproprietary header 422 that contains the compressed header information,and a variable-length user data field 424.

Each of the above configurations is achievable even within the confinesof a DOCSIS-compliant system, because DOCSIS is designed to accommodateupstream transmissions from cable modems to the headend on a shared andscheduled medium. More specifically, DOCSIS requires the CMTS todetermine the configuration of cable modems that are active on the cablenetwork and to allocate predetermined slots of bandwidth to each modemin response to requests from each cable modem. Accordingly, the CMTSwill have the necessary advance information to determine how to handlepackets originating from each cable modem on its local cable network,and be able to process them accordingly. Thus, embodiments of thepresent invention permit the use of proprietary data transfer algorithmsthat may vary from modem to modem by allowing the headend equipment toreceive modified DOCSIS packets in a DOCSIS-compliant manner.

E. CONCLUSION

While various embodiments of the present invention have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample only, and not limitation. It will be understood by those skilledin the art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as definedin the appended claims. Thus, the breadth and scope of the presentinvention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplaryembodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the followingclaims and their equivalents.

1. A media access control (MAC) in a subscriber station, comprising:first MAC logic configured to modify contents of data packets receivedfrom a user device in accordance with a first data transfer protocolthat is non-compliant with a second data transfer protocol; second MAClogic configured to append a unique hardware address of a server to themodified data packets; and an output to provide the modified datapackets over a wireless network to a base station that is compliant withthe second data transfer protocol; wherein the second MAC logic enablesthe base station to transfer the modified data packets to the server inaccordance with the unique hardware address to enable the server torestore the contents of the modified data packets to an unmodifiedstate.
 2. The MAC of claim 1, wherein the first MAC logic is configuredto suppress header information of the data packets, and wherein thesecond MAC logic is configured to enable the base station to transferthe modified data packets to the server in accordance with the uniquehardware address to enable the server to restore the suppressed headerinformation.
 3. The MAC of claim 2, further comprising third MAC logicconfigured to determine whether the header information of the receiveddata packets is capable of being suppressed in accordance with the firstdata transfer protocol.
 4. The MAC of claim 1, further comprising thirdMAC logic configured to download information pertaining to the uniquehardware address of the server from the base station.
 5. The MAC ofclaim 1, wherein the second MAC is configured to append an Ethernetaddress that directs the modified data packets to the server.
 6. The MACof claim 1, wherein the second MAC is configured to append an internetprotocol (IP) address that directs the modified data packets to theserver.
 7. A wireless communication system for transferring data packetsfrom a subscriber station to a network, wherein the data packets areformatted in accordance with a first data transfer protocol, comprising:a base station coupled to the subscriber station via a wireless network,the base station compliant with a second data transfer protocol, whereinthe first data transfer protocol is non-compliant with the second datatransfer protocol; and a server coupled to the base station and to thenetwork; wherein the base station is adapted to receive the data packetsand to transfer the data packets to the server in accordance with aunique hardware address of the server that is appended to the datapackets; and wherein the server is adapted to modify the format of thedata packets in accordance with the first data transfer protocol and totransfer the modified data packets to the network.
 8. The wirelesscommunication system of claim 7, wherein the unique hardware addressincludes an Ethernet address.
 9. The wireless communication system ofclaim 7, wherein the unique hardware address includes an internetprotocol (IP) address.
 10. The wireless communication system of claim 7,wherein the network includes the Internet.
 11. The wirelesscommunication system of claim 7, wherein the data packets received bythe base station have been formatted in accordance with a headersuppression scheme, and wherein the server is adapted to restoresuppressed header information to the data packets.
 12. A wirelesscommunication system for transferring data from a user device to anetwork, comprising: a subscriber station; a base station that iscompliant with a first data transfer protocol coupled to the subscriberstation via a wireless network; and a server coupled to the base stationand to the network; wherein the subscriber station is adapted to receivedata packets from the user device, to modify contents of the datapackets in accordance with a second data transfer protocol that is notcompliant with the first data transfer protocol, to append a uniquehardware address of the server to the modified data packets, and totransfer the modified data packets to the base station; wherein the basestation is adapted to receive the modified data packets and to transferthe modified data packets to the server in accordance with the uniquehardware address; and wherein the server is adapted to restore thecontents of the modified data packets to an unmodified state and totransfer the restored data packets to the network.
 13. The wirelesscommunication system of claim 12, wherein the unique hardware addressincludes an Ethernet address.
 14. The wireless communication system ofclaim 12, wherein the unique hardware address includes an internetprotocol (IP) address.
 15. The wireless communication system of claim12, wherein the network includes the Internet.
 16. The wirelesscommunication system of claim 12, wherein the subscriber station isadapted to modify the contents of the data packets by suppressing headerinformation in the data packets, and the server is adapted to restorethe contents of the modified data packets to an unmodified state byrestoring the suppressed header information.
 17. The wirelesscommunication system of claim 12, wherein the user device includes avoice-over-internet-protocol-enabled (VoIP-enabled) telephone.
 18. Awireless communication system for transferring data from a user deviceto a network, comprising: a subscriber station; a base station that iscompliant with a first data transfer protocol coupled to the subscriberstation via a wireless network and coupled to the network; and a servercoupled to the base station; wherein the subscriber station is adaptedto receive data packets from the user device, to modify contents of thedata packets in accordance with a second data transfer protocol that isnot compliant with the first data transfer protocol, to append a uniquehardware address of the server to the modified data packets, and totransfer the modified data packets to the base station; wherein the basestation is adapted to receive the modified data packets and to transferthe modified data packets to the server in accordance with the uniquehardware address; wherein the server is adapted to restore the contentsof the modified data packets to an unmodified state and to transfer therestored data packets to the base station; and wherein the base stationis further adapted to receive the restored data packets and to transferthe restored data packets to the network.
 19. The wireless communicationsystem of claim 18, wherein the user device includes avoice-over-internet-protocol-enabled (VoIP-enabled) telephone.
 20. Thewireless communication system of claim 18, wherein the unique hardwareaddress includes an Ethernet address.
 21. The wireless communicationsystem of claim 18, wherein the unique hardware address includes aninternet protocol (IP) address.